The project was implemented in Ta Ngai Cho Commune, Muong Khuong District, Lào Cai Province where 100% is IP and poverty rate: 44,76%, 1,071 hectares of forests.

The project has achieved the following key results:

- Organized 14 training courses with 374 participants, contributing significantly to awareness among the community and stakeholders about the role and benefits of the forest and State policies
and laws on forestry.
- Developed a TV film report and a series of articles in the local Lào Cai newspaper, as well as articles in the Journal Forest & Environment, on the VIFA website, in the UN-REDD Newsletter, and
at COP 21.
- Produced a wide range of materials with rich content and briefings of FPDPs in 12 villages and a summary of the communal Forest Protection and Development Fund to be broadcast on commune
loudspeaker and disseminated in commune and village meetings. At the model sites, signs and billboards introduce the models for wide dissemination among the people.
- The FPDP of Ta Ngai Cho Commune was developed by communities in 12 villages of the commune, with the participation of the Ta Ngai Cho CPC, Muong Khuong DPC and Muong Khuong PFMB to create consensus from the authority to community.
- The FPDP is developed on the basis of the natural potentials and socio-economic status of the commune, reflecting the needs of the people and consistent with the development orientation of the locality, ensuring the principle of integrating REDD+ targets. The main contents of the plan are being implemented with priority activities contributing to the protection of the existing forests of the commune. All 12 villages have forest protection groups and community awareness of forest
protection has improved, with active and responsible participation of local people and stakeholders. If the FPDP is continuously well implemented, there will be prospects of high efficiency and practicality.
- The FPDP of Ta Ngai Cho Commune was approved by the Muong Khuong DPC in Decision 394/QD-UB on 30 September 2015 as a basis for mobilizing resources for the implementation of activities to prevent deforestation and forest degradation of communities in T? Ng?i Ch? Commune. The T? Ng?i Ch? CPC has issued decisions to set up FPDP Development and Implementation Teams in 12
villages and a Communal FPDP Development and Implementation Committee; to strengthen 12 forest protection groups for 12 villages; and to purchase equipment for forest protection.
- Implementing the FPDP for the two years 2015?2016, Ta Ngai Cho Commune has well protected the existing 1,071 hectares of forests, including 577.4 hectares of natural forests; newly planted 20 hectares of anise forest a, 20 hectares of concentrated forests and 25 hectares of scattered Aleurites montana. The commune has also enriched the forest by planting medicinal plants (e.g., purple
hyacinth) under the forest canopy (3.6 hectares) and 25 hectares of fruit trees. The commune has allocated 270.28 hectares of forest and forest land to households and contracted with 12 villages to protect 541.5 hectares of protection forest, and has implemented livelihood development models, including maize planting, M??ng Kh??ng pig raising and native chicken raising, as well as performing forest patrol, forest protection, and forest fire prevention.
- Within the framework of the FPDP of Ta Ngai Cho Commune, the project has piloted four livelihood models (Anise planting, maize planting, chicken raising and Muong Khuong pig raising). Livelihood development models and the Community Livelihood Development Fund have achieved their project objectives. The models and the fund have been handed over to villagers under the supervision of local authorities. These are important results contributing to successful implementation of the project.
The livelihood development models were designed in a clear and practical manner and implemented with the participation of local people and related organizations, with high consensus. While the content of the models was not entirely new, but the direction of applying advanced techniques to production was innovative. The models incorporated detailed implementation regulations and proper organization of production with appropriate varieties and scales. The initial results, though still
limited, have shown that a novel approach can help improve community responsibility and ensure sustainability (rotation of benefits). Successful models and replication in the commune will provide considerable income, contributing to the improvement of people?s livelihoods and reducing pressure on forest resources.
- In order to create a sustainable financial mechanism that contributes to FPDP implementation, the project has piloted the Community Livelihood Development Fund (CLDF). The regulation on management and use of the CLDF was developed by the residents of 12 villages with the support of the project and approved by the CPC in Decision No. 48E/QD-UB dated 19 September 2015. The CPC issued Decision No. 48D/QD-UB establishing CLDF management boards in 12 villages each with three members, of which the head is the chairperson of the village women?s union and the other two members are elected by villagers.
- VIFA has cooperated with donors and DARD to mobilize various sources of funds to set up the
initial CLDF of 394,200,000 VND , including: 150,000,000 VND provided by the project,
87,200,000 VND for building the livelihood development models and 157,000,000 VND for
forest protection in 2015 from M??ng Kh??ng PFMB. Funds were loaned by CLDF management
boards to 49 households for livelihood development including Muong Khuong pig raising
and local chicken raising.
- The CLDF has been established, operated and transferred to the villages. Although
the scale is still small, people have used it for right purposes and it has been very
effective. This is the beginning of new thinking about new ways of doing business
for the people here.
- The development of the models and the CLDF have helped raise awareness in a project area where 100 per cent of the population are H?Mong people. The project has helped them better understand the role and benefits of forests, identify problems that need to be addressed, and create unity around an enhanced sense of responsibility among the households participating in the project?thus facilitating the implementation of other projects later.
- A citizen-based Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) has been established to help
local people participate directly in monitoring and tracking the implementation of
commune activities and providing feedback to stakeholders on the process of development
and implementation of the FPDP, including the building of livelihood
development models.
- The project supports channels of communication that people can use to express their opinions and ideas with responsible individuals and organizations. A widely disseminated list of parties responsible for each type of work includes phone numbers for direct communication. However, direct individual feedback has so far been limited, with the habits and traditions of the local people favoring communication at village meetings, conferences, seminars and trainings.